Israel's latest approval of 625 new settlement units in Pisgat Ze'ev of East Jerusalem, al-quds, as analysts say, seems to be yet another message to the Palestinians that peace is not a priority for Israel.The latest news comes days after it was announced that 130 settlement units were to be constructed in the holy city, which Palestinians consider the capital of their future state.Dimitri (SB??)The latest Israeli government announcement to further expand colonial settlement activities in East Jerusalem is the latest slap in the peace process as a whole. It is a defiance to the nation. It reflects practically the position of the Israeli government is anti-peace.'Israel is pressing ahead with construction work despite global concern about its impact on the prospects of regional politics. The Palestinian Authority has stressed that it will not resume direct talks with Israel unless all settlement activities, both in East Jerusalem/Al-Quds and across the West Bank, are frozen.Ziyad Al-Hamouri'They are trying in the future to evacuate as much as they can from the Palestinians and to replace instead of them, settlers. And this is the plan in which they are declaring.'However, Israel looks determined to build 1,300 new settlement units in occupied East Jerusalem-al-Quds. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to be in favour of a US proposal for a fresh 90-day settlement freeze in only the West Bank.PA official'That is how they understand peace. They understand that the Palestinians people should surrender yet to the reality that they have to continue and they have the right to continue to colonize the Palestinian areas, building more settlements, building apartheid roads and at the end what is left for the Palestinians should be accepted as state.'But in a message to the United Nations last Monday, acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas described the Israeli settlements as a 'time bomb' that would destroy any hopes for conclusive talks with the Israelis.PA official'I think this bomb has been exploded. It is not yet to explode. Now if you look at the map of the West Bank, settlements are everywhere. They are wherever you go in the West Bank. You find them just swallowing the Palestinian areas. So the bomb has already exploded.'Direct talks have been shelved since September when a 10-month freeze on settlement construction ran out.Stand-up: The Palestinians believe they cannot expect much of the United States because Washington either has failed or is reluctant to persuade Israel to freeze settlement construction. And despite the pressure, if any at all, Israel for now seems to have got its way as it expands its settlements in East Jerusalem/Al-Quds and the West Bank.